Folding metal deck chair frame and method of making and assembling same



2,765,525 ING Oct. 9. 1956 R. A. O'NEILL FOLDING METAL DECK CHAIR FRAME AND METHOD -OF MAK AND ASSEMBLING SAME 2 Sheets-Shes; 1

Filed Aug. 12, 195.0

INVENTdR ATTORNEY Gd. 9. 1956 ;R. A. ONEILL 3 FOLDING METAL DECK CHAIR FRAME AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING SAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 12, 1950 ATTORNEY 2,755,525 Patented Oct. 9, 1%56 lice FOLDING METAL DECK CHAIR FRAME AND METHOD OF MAKING AND ASSEMBLING SAME Ralph A. ONeill, Englewood, N.- J. Application August 12, 1950, Serial No. 179,082 9 Claims. -(Cl. 29-428) This invention relates to a chair frame and the method of assembling the same, and particularly a metal frame for a folding steamer deck chair or the like.

The invention has for its objects the provision of a metal chair frame which is formed of aluminum alloy tubular parts, and the method of joining and assembling such parts; a steamer deck chair frame composed of a metal back frame unit, seat frame unit, foot rest frame unit, middle leg units and arm units in assembled relation to provide a rugged, light-weight, foldable construction for the reception of plastic webbing or metal slats to form a completed chair.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a folding chair with frame work formed of straight aluminum alloy tubular metal pieces joined in welded relation at substantially right angles to each other, and a method of joining the same; the provision of a novel means and method for attaching a foot rest to a metal framework; the provision of an aluminum alloy framework composed of parts integrally welded and assembled to form a back rest, seat, and foot rest.

Another object of the invention includes a method of preparing and joining two straight metal tubes of rectangular cross-section to form an integral angular welded assembly having a rounded external curvature.

Another object of the invention is a method of preparing, joining and assembling in united foldable and permanent relation the component parts of a metal foot rest frame and a seat frame.

Another object of the invention is the method of attaching plastic webbing to an aluminum alloy chair frame, and the joint so obtained.

Another object of the invention is the method of assembling and attaching tubular metal slats to a metal chair frame.

Another object of the invention is the method of attaching rubber feet to the legs of a chair frame.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the description and claims herein.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the frame of the chair.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of the chair frame shown in Figure 1.

Figures 3, 4 and 5 illustrate how the tubular members of the back frame and foot rest are integrally secured at their rounded joints.

Figure 6 shows the detailed assembly of the foot rest frame to the seat frame.

Figure 7 shows the manner of attaching plastic webbing to the chair frame.

Figure 8 is a sectional view along the line 8-8 of Figure 6.

Figure 9 shows in section the manner of assembling tubular slats with the cross-bars of the chair frame.

Figure 10 shows in section the manner of assembling a cross-bar to the back frame.

In the drawings, the side rail members 1 of rectangular seamless metallic tubing are bent at 2 on a tube bender to curve downwardly to form rear legs 3. These side rail members are punched at two points to provide holes for insertion of the seamless metal tubular cross-bars 4 and 5, which together with the side rails form a seat frame. One wall of each of the cross-bars 4 and 5 have holes therein extruded by nail point punches, and the two side rails 1 are likewise provided with extruded holes in one wall of each thereof for attaching Webbing thereto as shown in detail in Figure 7. The side rails are also drilled for reception of brackets 39 which form a pivotal mounting for the back frame members 6 at the points 40, and which brackets each carry a cross bolt 41 which serves "as a stop to the notched lower end 7 of each side 6. The back frame is formed from two hollow rectangular tubes forming the vertical side members 6, which are notched at their lower ends 7 to conform to the shape of solid aluminum plugs which are inserted in said tubes at their lower ends to support the highly stressed hinge and stop. The upper ends of the side members 6 are rounded, by cutting away, on a radius, three walls of the tube end, then folding and welding the fourth wall over the cut to close the opening. This is shown in detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5. Figure 3 shows the top end of the side members 6 in the first stage with slits 8 and 9 to form the wall 16 which is to be folded over and welded. Figure 4 shows the portion 11 which is removed by cutting along the curvature shown, the attachment of the open ended horizontal tubular member 12 to the side 13 of the tube 6 around the perimeter 14 of the tube 12, and the folding of the portion 14) to unite with the opposed wall 13 of the tube 6.

Figure 5 shows the curved joint 15 of Figure 1 prior to welding, grinding and polishing. The cross-bars 12 and 16, prior to assembly with the side members 6, are bent on a wide radius to provide a slight curvature, while the bottom cross-bar 17 is bent on a shorter radius to pro vide a greater amount of curvature for the comfort of the back of the occupant of the chair. The cross-bars 16 and 17 are the same size tubing in cross-section as the side members '6, and the open ends of the cross-bars are ground concave to conform with convex sides of the vertical side members 6. This is shown in Figure 10 Where the concave edges 49 meet the side wall of 6. Holes are extruded by nail point punches into one wall of the two vertical side members 6 and in one Wall of each of the cross-bars 16 and 17 for later attaching plastic webbing in the manner hereinafter described with regard to Fig ure 7. Having first processed the side members 6 and the cross-bars 12, 16 and 17 as described, and using a welding jig for perfect alignment, and squaring, of two side members and three cross-bars, the joints are heliarc welded all around, ground smooth and polished.

The foot rest frame is assembled from two side tubular members 18 and 19 and two cross-bars 2d and 21 to form the rectangular top. The side members 18 and 19 at one open end of each are cut away and rounded for joining to the ends of member 26} in the manner shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5 to form curved ends 22. The cross-bar 21 is joined to the other open ends of side members 18 and 19 in the manner shown in Figure 10. The side members 18 and 19 have one wall thereof extruded with nail punch holes for later attaching plastic webbing. The side members are bent on a wide radius to curve slightly downwardly as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The cross-bar 21 has inserted at each end thereof a casting 23 having a horizontally extending stud 24. The legs 25 are bent as at 26 for snug closing and are formed of metallic tubes welded in H-shape with the horizontally disposed tube 27. Metal strengthening plugs are inserted at the top ends of the legs and drilled for pivoting at 28, the lower ends of the legs being drilled at 29 for carrying rubber feet 30. To assemble the foot rest frame, the stud-bearing castings 23 are tapped into the ends of the cross-bar 21, the parts 18, 19 and 2t and 21 are placed in a squaring jig, the joints are welded all around, ground and polished, and the H frame unit carrying legs 25 is attached to the welded frame with bolts to form the pivots 28.

To form the middle legs unit, the legs 31 and 32 are formed from two tubular members that are cut on bias and drilled at bottom ends for attaching rubber feet 30, and are cut on radius at top ends for inserting arm hinge strengthening plugs, and then drilled for bolting to arm hinge brackets 33. They are also drilled to provide holes for pivotally mounting the same on side rails 1 at 42. The cross-bar 34 is a straight tube and plugs inserted to close the ends and is provided with a rubber stop 35 which provides a stop and support for the seat of the chair. In assembling the middle legs unit, the sides and cross piece are placed in the squaring jig, and the cross-piece 34 is superimposed and welded on the side pieces 31 and 32.

Two front seat hinge castings 36, one of which is shown in detail in Figure 6, are provided for foldably mounting the foot rest frame to the seat frame. One of these castings is for the right and one for the left, and each has a hole to receive a stud 24 of the foot rest stud-bearing casting 23. Each casting 36 is provided with forked extensions 37 and 38 which are adapted to straddle the crossbar 4 of the seat frame and to be inserted between such cross-bar and the internal surface of the end of side rail member 1 of the seat frame. The straddling of the members 37 and 38 over the bar 4 inside the tube 1 is shown in cross-section in Figure 8. To assemble the foot rest frame with the front hinge castings 36, the seat hinge castings 36 are first mated to the studs 24, then tapped into the open ends of seat rails 1, and welded to the rails at the under surfaces. The seat rails 1 having been previouslv assembled with cross-bar 4, the seat hinge castin s 36 will straddle the bar 4 in being inserted in side rails 1. An alternate method for assembling the foot rest to the seat, the hinge castings 36 may be inserted in seat rails 1 first before assembling the cross-bars 4 and to the seat rails, then the cross-bars 4 and 5 are tapped into one rail, then stud castings and hinge castings 36 are mated simultaneously while tapping other rail 1 to cross-bars 4 and 5, and finally placing the seat frame in the squaring jig and welding all the joints at their under surfaces.

The manner of attachment of the plastic webbing to back frame. seat frame and foot-rest frame is shown in Figure 7. The metal tube 44 (which is illustrative of the metal tubes 6, 16, 17, 1, 4, 5, 18, 19, 20 and 21 of Figure 1) is provided with a hole 45 in one wall thereof produced by a nail punch which thus extrudes the aluminum alloy. The plastic webbing 43, preferably polyethylene strip, is wrapped around the tube and the strip end 46 is encased in a U-shaped metal clip 47 having holes therein to receive a tapered self-tapping screw 48 which enters the hole 45 and thus tightly and permanently secures the plastic webbing to the tube 44 of the frame. The tapered screw 48 is self-tapping into the aluminum alloy of the frame.

The chair frame, that is, the back, seat and foot rest, have heretofore been described as being provided with plastic webbing as illustrated in Figure 7. However, it may be desired to provide the frames of back, seat, and foot rest with tubular metal slats instead of webbing, and in such cases, the method of attachment of the slats is shown in Figure 9. Where webbing is not used, the holes punched into the various frames for purposes of attaching webbing are obviously not necessary, but instead holes are pierced in cross-bars for inserting the ends of the slats. For example, in the back frame, cross-bars 16 and 17 are pierced on one narrow side for inserting ends of slats. Figure 9 is illustrative of the manner in which a tubular slat is joined to a cross-bar. The member 52 is illustrative of cross-bars 16, 17, 4, 5, 20 and 21. Crossbars 16 and 17 are pierced on one narrow side of each and respectively opposed for the insertion of 7 slats, one of which is illustrated in Figure 9 as slat 51. These slats are longitudinally disposed in parallel relationship to the side members 6. The tubular slats in the seat frame are likewise disposed in parallel relationship to side rails 1 and are inserted in one wall of each of cross-bars 4 and 5. The tubular slats in the foot rest frame are likewise disposed in parallel order to the sides 18 and 19, and are inserted in cross-bars 20 and 21 in the manner shown in Figure 9. Prior to assembly, the side tube members 6 are bent in shallow S-shape, the cross-bar 12 and side members 6 are processed in accordance with the description relating to Figures 3, 4 and 5, the cross-bars 16 and 17 are ground concave as in Figure 10. To assemble the back frame with tubular slats, the latter are first bent in shallow S-shape like the side members, are inserted into holes of cross-bars 16 and 17, then cross-bars with slats inserted are bent on two radii, the lower cross-bar 17 having the deeper curvature. The third or top cross-bar 12 is bent singly on a wide radius. The side members, crossbars with slats inserted therein, and top cross-bar are all placed in a welding jig, and the joints are heliarc welded all around, ground smooth and polished. Tack welds such as 53 in Figure 9 are additionally made on back surfaces of slats at all joints.

The seat frame is assembled much the same as the back frame is with tubular slats, except that the 7 slats are each bent on a wide radius to provide a concave form in the seat, and then inserted in straight cross-bars 4 and 5, which, with side members 1, straight at the seat portion, are all placed in a welding jig, welded all around, and additionally provided with tack welds where the slats enter the cross-bars. It will be noted that the side bars 1 and cross-bars 4 and 5 are not shallow bent as in the assembly of the back frame with the slats.

The assembly of the foot-rest frame with tubular slats is similar to the above, except that five slats are provided and all curved on a wide radius like the side members 18 and 19. The members 18, 19, 20 and 21 are first processed as indicated in Figures 3, 4, 5 and 10 for preparation of the unwelded joints, the slat ends are then inserted in opposed pierced holes in cross-bars 20 and 21, the stud-bearing castings are tapped into ends of the rear cross-bar, all the parts are placed in a squaring jig, and welded all around, with additional tack welds for the slats, then ground and polished.

The arms applied to the chair frame are preferably of aluminum alloy. The front ends of rectangular tubular arms are rounded and closed by the process or method described in conection with Figures 3, 4 and 5, then welded, ground and polished. The arms 55 are shown reduced in horizontal width at the rear thereof, and this is done by cut-outs, rounding and closing outside walls and ends in the manner shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5. Hinge brackets are welded to the undersurface of the arms and are used for attachment of legs 31 by bolts 33. At the rear of the arms, bushings are inserted in the pivot holes for reception of pivot bolts 54.

It will be observed in connection with Figures 3 and 4 and 5, that the slots 8 and 9 of Figure 3 should be cut as near the side walls adjacent thereto as possible so as to preserve intact the entire original Width of the wall 10 so as to close the gap after sawing away the other three walls. The cuts 8 and 9 can be made with equal effectiveness at the corner radii and thus preserve the wall 1.0 intact as to original width.

The folding deck chair of which the framework is herein described is the subject of a separate copending application filed on even date herewith, wherein I have claimed among other things, the combination of the various mechanical and engineering features of the completed chair, together with pivotal mountings in combination therewith; the combination of the chair with plasticwebhing; the combination with the chair of the foot-rest as joined thereto in Figure 6; the combination with the chair of the specific hinge bracket and stop member 39 shown in Figure 2. The saidcopending application is entitled, Folding Metal Deck Chair, now Patent No. 2,600,374.

I claim:

1. The method of forming a chair back frame, which comprises the steps of rounding the upper ends of two metal tubes of rectangular cross-section constituting opposed vertical side members of a back frame by cutting away on a radius three walls of each tube at one end thereof and folding the fourth wall of each of such tube ends over the cut to close the opening, aligning two curved cross-bars of rectangular open-ended metal tubing having different radii of curvature horizontally at spaced intermediate positions to said side members and contiguous therewith in concave-convex relation at the open ends of the cross-bars, aligning a third cross-bar of rectangular open-ended metal tubing horizontally between the side members at end positions thereof and contiguous to the opposed vertical walls adjacent the rounded ends thereof, welding the two vertical side members to the three cross-bars at their respective contiguous surfaces, and welding the folded portion of the fourth wall of each tube to complete the frame.

2. In a method of forming a chair frame, comprising the steps of cutting two longitudinal slits in a side wall of each of two rectangular tubular side members to leave one edge of each slit adjacent to the inside surface of each wall adjacent to the slit wall, bending the slit wall in an arc and cutting metal from each adjacent wall and the wall opposed to the slit wall so that the bending and cutting correspond to form an arcuate end, placing a cross-bar of rectangular tubing in alignment with the walls opposed to the slit walls of the two side members having the arcuate ends to form with said arcuate ends a continuous exterior surface, and welding the side members and the cross-bar at their surfaces of juncture and welding the bent portions of each of the slit walls.

3. The method of forming a curved integral tubular framework from two separate straight metallic tubular members of rectangular cross-section which comprises the steps of cutting two longitudinal slits in a side wall at an open end of one member to leave one edge of each slit adjacent to the inside surface of each wall adjacent to the slit wall, bending the slit wall in an arc and cutting metal from each of the three other walls so that the bending and cutting correspond to form an arcuate end, placing the open end of the other member in juxtaposition with the first member to 'form with the arcuate end a continuous exterior surface, and welding the juxtaposed members together and welding the bent portion of the slit wall.

4. The method of assembling a foot-rest frame in foldable permanent relation to a chair frame which comprises the steps of permanently securing a pair of horizontally disposed studs to the foot-rest frame, inserting the studs for rotation into sockets of a pair of opposed hinge members having bifurcated ends, inserting the bifurcated ends of the hinge members between the ends of a crossbar element and side rail elements of the chair frame, and permanently securing the aforesaid ends, cross bar element and side rail elements together.

5. The method of assembling a foot-rest frame having projecting studs thereon to a chair frame in a folding chair frame assembly which comprises the steps of inserting a forked hinge casting having a lateral socket therein into each open end of two tubular metal seat rail members of rectangular cross-section, tapping one end of each of two tubular metal cross-bars of rectangular cross-section into one of said seat rail members, mating the projecting studs of the foot rest frame with the opposed lateral sockets of the hinge castings simulta- 6 neously while tapping the'other ends of the. two cross-bars into the other seat rail member, and then welding the seat rail joints so formed.

6. The method of forming a foot-rest frame in a chair assembly which comprises the steps. of rounding one end of each of two metal tubes of rectangular cross-section constituting opposed side members of a foot-rest frame by cutting away on a radius three walls of each tube at one end thereof and folding the fourth wall of each of such tube ends over the cut to close the opening, aligning a cross-bar metal tube of rectangular cross-section having two open ends between the respective opposed side walls at the front ends thereof and contiguous to said side walls which are adjacent the rounded ends thereof, tapping stud-bearing castings into opposed ends of a second-cross-bar metal tube of rectangular cross-section, aligning said second cross-bar at the rear ends of said side members with the rear open ends of said side members in juxtaposition with a side wall of said second cross-bar, and welding the respective joints so formed to complete the frame.

7. The method of forming a chair seat frame which comprises the steps of punching holes at spaced points in the inside walls of two longitudinally disposed seamless metal tubes of rectangular cross-section constituting two opposed side rail members of the frame, bending each of the said rail members in an arc to form a rear leg as a continuation of each of said side members, inserting the open opposed unreduced ends of cross-bars of seamless meta-l tubing of rectangular cross-section into the aforesaid holes of the bent side rail members, and welding the cross-bars to the side rail members at the points of insertion.

8. The method of assembling and attaching tubular metal slats to an all metal chair frame having metal side members and metal crossbars, which comprises the steps of piercing the cross-bars on one side thereof to provide holes for inserting the ends of the slats, bending the slats to desired shape, inserting opposed ends of the bent slats in the said holes of two opposed cross-bars, and welding the slats to the cross-bars at the joints formed therewith.

9. The method of assembling and attaching tubular metal slats to an all metal chair frame having metal side members and metal cross-bars, which comprises the steps of piercing the cross-bars on one side thereof to provide holes for inserting the ends of the slats, bending the slats to desired shape, inserting opposed ends of the bent slats in the said holes of two opposed cross-bars, bending the cross-bars on two different respective radii While the slats are inserted therein, and welding the slats to the crossbars at the joints formed therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 182,269 Clark Sept. 19, 1876 425,714 Thor-p Apr. 15, 1890 505,217 Eisele Sept. 19, 1893 1,114,486 Kimball Oct. 20, 1914 1,155,588 Luha Oct. 5, 1915 1,651,000 Rosenthal et al. Nov. 29, 1927 1,693,680 Thum Dec. 4, 1928 1,715,118 Clark May 28, 1929 1,912,282 Krebs May 30, 1933 1,915,398 Bedell et al. June 27, 1933 1,916,336 Schermerhorn July 4, 1933 1,962,820 Knight June 12, 1934 1,992,710 Matthaei Feb. 26, 1935 2,078,471 Tinnerm-an Apr. 27, 1937 2,150,651 Ewing Mar. 14, 1939 2,173,515 Eklund Sept. 19, 1939 2,179,089 Hauf Nov. 7, 1939 2,221,934 Ferris Nov. 19, 1940 2,299,143 Hellwig Oct. 20, 1942 (Other references on following page) 7 UNITED STATES PATENTS Kratzmaier Aug. 27, 1946 Booth Mar. 18, 1947 Kaufmann Mar. 15, 1949 Weaver May 10, 1949 8 McArthur Aug. 2, 1949 ONeill June 10, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS France May 12, 1925 

